HAMPTON JAMES, “The General History of Polybius / in five books / translated from the Greek”, London: R & J Dodsley in Pall Mall, 1756. 1st edition, large quarto, p. xx + 559 with errata and two folding engraved maps. Polybius (c. 208 – c. 125 BC) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period noted for his work "The Histories", which covered the period of 264–146 BC in detail. The work describes the rise of the Roman Republic to the status of dominance in the ancient Mediterranean world and includes his eyewitness account of the Sack of Carthage and Corinth in 146 BC, and the Roman annexation of the mainland Greece after the Achaean War. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed constitution or the separation of powers in government, which was influential on Montesquieus The Spirit of the Laws and the framers of the United States Constitution. Small owners ink inscription on inside front cover. Contemporary full calf binding, with visible wear along edges and spine; signs of repair; front cover detached; top and bottom of spine worn but otherwise sound. Clean and tight inside. Very good copy.